MQTT and OSI Model Explanation

MQTT and OSI Model

MQTT
MQTT stands for Message Queuing Telemetry Transport. It is a lightweight messaging
protocol designed for small sensors and mobile devices, making it ideal for Internet of
Things (IoT) applications. MQTT operates on a publish/subscribe model, which allows
devices to publish messages to a broker and subscribe to topics to receive messages.

Key Features of MQTT:

• Lightweight Messaging Protocol: Optimized for high-latency or unreliable
networks.
• Publish/Subscribe Model: Enables decoupled communication between
devices.
• Designed for IoT Devices: Ideal for constrained devices with limited bandwidth
and power.
• Quality of Service Levels: Offers three levels of message delivery guarantees:
– At most once (0): Fastest, but no guarantee of delivery.
 – At least once (1): Guarantees delivery but may result in duplicate
messages.
– Exactly once (2): Guarantees delivery and ensures no duplicates, but
with higher overhead.
• Retained Messages: Allows messages to be retained by the broker for new
subscribers.
• Last Will and Testament: Enables notification to other clients in case of an
unexpected disconnection.

OSI Model
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is a conceptual framework used to
understand and standardize the functions of a telecommunication or computing system
without regard to its underlying internal structure and technology. The model is divided
into seven layers, each serving a specific function.

Layers of the OSI Model:

• Application Layer: The top layer where applications access network services,
which includes protocols like MQTT.
• Presentation Layer: Transforms data to provide a standard interface for the
Application layer.
• Session Layer: Manages sessions between applications.
• Transport Layer: Provides reliable or unreliable delivery, and performs error
correction before retransmit. Commonly, MQTT uses TCP/IP at this layer.
• Network Layer: Handles routing of the data.
• Data Link Layer: Provides node-to-node data transfer.
• Physical Layer: Concerned with the physical connection between devices.
This mind map provides a visual representation of the MQTT protocol and its place
within the OSI model, highlighting its application in IoT devices and the underlying
network layers that support it.